Several years ago I reviewed Breaking Bread by bell hooks and Dr.
Cornel West for National Public Radio. I stated in my commentary that
the conversation or dialogue between the two public intellectuals was
filled with nourishment and inspiration. I felt their views provided us
with a reason for hope, in a constantly changing world. Now a few years
later, the popular West – with the help of Kelvin Sealey – has given us
a series of exchanges with nine interesting individuals.
Upon first picking up Restoring Hope, one might jump to the
conclusion that West is simply adding another book to his impressive
resume – or worsen, this is a book released for quick cash. Publishers
have a habit of doing this. It’s similar to the recording industry
exploiting singers and musicians long after people have stopped dancing
to their music.
Mention the name Cornel West and one is talking about the
“celebrity” intellectual. The type of person who might be more
comfortable on television than in the library.
West, however, is a man of substance as well as style. He is also a
good listener, and Restoring Hope finds him in the company of Harry
Belafonte, Bill Bradley, Charlayne Hunter-Gault, Reverend James Forbes,
Jr., Reverend James M. Washington, Wynton Marsalis, Patricia Williams,
Haki Madhubuti and Maya Angelou.
The best way to “swim” in this book is to get your feet wet by
reading the conversation West has with the person you most admire. For
me, it was no contest. As a poet and activist, no living artist
impressed me more than Harry Belafonte. My $25 would purchase this book
just for his words alone.
Belafonte talks about the influence of Paul Robeson, Marcus Garvey
and Haile Selassie on his life. The Robeson connection is one which
appears again in the conversation West conducts with Haki Madhubuti. If
there is a recurring theme throughout the book, it is the
acknowledgement of the need for mentors, respect for elders, and the
appreciation of African American history and culture. As cultural
workers, individuals such as Belafonte and Haki Madhubuti serve as a
barometer of where our society is heading.
If there is a cause for despair and an absence of hope, it is due to
what Belafonte sees as the considerable amount of negativity which
saturates Black culture today and which is exploited by monopoly
capital. Our economic condition has determined the spiritual as well as
material conditions of our lives. For Belafonte, the culture of a
people is the soul of a people, expressing their hopes and aspirations.
